<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta name="copyright" content=
  "Copyright (c) IBM Corporation and others 2000, 2012. This page is made available under license. For full details see the LEGAL in the documentation book that contains this page.">
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <link rel="STYLESHEET" href="../../book.css" type="text/css">
  <title>Eclipse Platform Overview</title>
  <script src="PLUGINS_ROOT/org.eclipse.help/livehelp.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Eclipse Platform Overview</h1>
  <p>The Eclipse platform itself is structured as subsystems which are implemented in one or more plug-ins. The
  subsystems are built on top of a small runtime engine. The figure below depicts a simplified view.</p>
  <p style="text-align:center"><img alt="Platform runtime base with groups of plug-ins adding function" src=
  "../../images/arch-npi.svg"></p>
  <h2>Workbench</h2>
  <p>The term <i>Workbench</i> refers to the desktop development environment. The Workbench aims to achieve seamless
  tool integration and controlled openness by providing a common paradigm for the creation, management, and navigation
  of workspace resources.</p>
  <p>Each Workbench window contains one or more perspectives. Perspectives contain views and editors and control what
  appears in certain menus and tool bars. More than one Workbench window can exist on the desktop at any given
  time.</p>
  <h3 class="related">Related Concepts</h3><a href="../../concepts/concepts-25.htm">Features</a><br>
  <a href="../../concepts/concepts-12.htm">Resources</a><br>
  <a href="../../concepts/concepts-4.htm">Perspectives</a><br>
  <a href="../../concepts/concepts-5.htm">Views</a><br>
  <a href="../../concepts/concepts-6.htm">Editors</a><br>
  <h3 class="related">Related Tasks</h3><a href="../../tasks/tasks-124.htm">Installing new software</a><br>
  <a href="../../tasks/tasks-9f.htm">Opening perspectives</a><br>
  <a href="../../tasks/tasks-3.htm">Opening views</a><br>
  <a href="../../tasks/tasks-28.htm">Switching between perspectives</a><br>
  <a href="../../tasks/tasks-9n.htm">Showing and hiding menu items and toolbar buttons</a><br>
  <a href="../../tasks/tasks-9m.htm">Configuring perspective command groups</a><br>
  <a href="../../tasks/tasks-9k.htm">Configuring perspective shortcuts</a>
  <h3 class="related">Related Reference</h3><a href="../../reference/ref-68.htm">Toolbar buttons</a>
</body>
</html>
